I snort. “Nobody calls me that.”
He shrugs. “Well, if you’re done talking about my good looks, I have some news. I spoke to the detective working on Ted’s case. They checked Ted’s phone, and it turns out it was a burner phone. But get this, Vince had called it fifteen minutes prior to Ted arriving at the house.”
I sit up straight. “Vince invited him over?”
“That’s what the detective thinks. Ted kept saying he needed the money from Vince. But money for what? The detective is convinced Vince hired Ted to take out Lawrence. But he doesn’t have any proof.”
I can’t help but laugh. “Please. If Vince wanted to have Lawrence killed, he wouldn’t hire the computer science professor to do it.”
Rover kicks his boots up on my desk. “It doesn’t seem plausible. But there’s more.”
My eyebrows shoot up. “What?”
“Remember the phone that called Joseph before the fire? We ran into a dead end trying to track it down because it was a burner phone.”
Could it be? “It wasTed’sburner phone?’
Rover nods.
I shake my head. “Did Ted not understand the purpose of a burner phone? Why did he hang on to it?”
“No idea, but the detective said they found enough evidence at Ted’s place to show he was planning to kill Randy, Joseph, and you.”
“Me? What the fuck for?”
“He wanted Lucy. That’s why the detective thinks he was open to killing Lawrence. But when I go over how it all went down, I don’t think that was a planned hit.”
I replay the events in my mind. “Ted pulled his gun only after Lawrence aimed his gun at him.”
“Exactly,” Rover says.
“Maybe Vince didn’t anticipate Lawrence pulling a gun on Ted.”
“Maybe.” His phone buzzes, and he checks it. “I gotta go. I’ll let you know if I hear anything else.”
“Thanks.”
To know Lucy was ever alone with Ted eats at me. I knew the man had a thing for her, but how did I not see any red flags?
Laughter in the hallway catches my attention, and I watch Stormy walk by, talking on his phone. I’m thankful he understood my need to start early. He was also understanding when Agent Carter stopped in; I had to explain it was to wrap up something I was doing with the FBI.
When I arrived for my first day earlier, I was pointed to an office and told to make myself comfortable. Since then, I’ve been reviewing a large list of files I’d been given on the laptop they provided.
For my first week, I have desk duty. Mostly, they want me to learn their systems. So far, it’s a lot like how Reed and Hawthorne run their company, so it’s easy learning.
I step out of my office to get a cup of coffee, but a familiar voice stops me. Hawthorne steps out of Stormy’s office.
“Hawthorne? What are you doing here?”
“Well, my wife heard me talking about Seattle and insisted we take a mini vacation. And I wanted to talk to Stormy in person about a few things, so here I am. Plus, I know some guys here and I have an opening now.”
“Don’t even think about poaching any of my men,” Stormy says as he walks up.
“Well, I don’t see why not. I figure you owe me one.” Hawthorne nods in my direction.
“I’m not sure Cody counts as a full man yet,” CT pipes up, grinning at me. “The jury is still out.”
Before I can retort, Hawthorne says, “Cody, I was hoping to speak to you for a minute. Privately.”
